Accelerator



' June 3 1924. 1,496,399

L. M. WILLIAMS ET AL ACCELERATOR Filed March '27, 1923 LN WILL/AME FZJ.WILL (ANS c. 4. wan/M15 Patented June 3, 1924.

rrsn STATES FFICE.

LLOYD 1vI. WILLIAMS, :enncv J. WILLIAMS, AND cnns'rnn L. winner/is, orsun FRANCISCO, ennrronnrn.

socnrlnaaroa.

Original application filed August 18, 1921, Serial 1 Io. 493,248.Divided and this application filed March 27, 1923. Serial No. 627,959.

To all whom it may concern: 1

Be it known that we, LLOYD M. WILLIAMS, PERCY J. VVILLIAMs, and CHESTERL. WIL- LIAMS, citizens of the United States, residing at 816 OakStreet, in the city and county of San Francisco, State of California,have invented new and useful Improvements in Accelerators, of which thefollowing is a specification. 1 This invention relates to improvementsin internal combustion engine accelerators of the type used inconnection with motor cars and which provide for control of the fuel.

One of the subjects of the invention is to provide accelerator mechanismof the character described which may be readily and easily incorporatedwith the standard or factory equipped throttle controlling mechanism ofcertain makes of motor cars without necessitating any material changesin the construction and arrangement of said standard mechanism orrequiring employment of skilled labor.

Another object of the invention is to provide accelerator mechanismwhich will per- .mit of independent operation of the hand and footoperated meansso that when the hand operated means is operated theoperation of the foot mechanism will not be effected and vice versa.

The invention further resides in the particular combination,inter-relation and relative arrangement of certain specially and novellyconstructed elements or parts of the mechanism, which elements providefor a general improvement in accelerator mechanism by wayv ofsimplification of structural arrangement and reduction of the number ofparts employed, by way of increased com pactness and decreased cost ofproduction and provision of an easier and more reliable and certainattachment and operation of the mechanism,

With the above mentioned and other objects in view,the inventionconsists in the novel constructionand combination of parts hereinafterdescribed, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and set forth inthe claims hereto appended, it being understood that various changes inthe form, proportion, size and minor details of construction withinthescope of the claims may be resorted to without departing from thespirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

Fig. 1 is a broken plan view of a portion of an automobile showing themechanism of this invention attached thereto.

,Fig. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view taken through the foot boardsand showing partly in section and in, elevation the foot operating meansor pedal.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view partly in elevation showing a detail ofconstruction.

Fig. 4 is a top plan view partly in section, of the mechanism shown inFig. 3.

Referring to the drawing:

1 designates a foot board of an automobile of a well, known make, thruwhich foot board the usual steering mechanism 2 me tends and uponwhich-steering mechanism a. standard hand throttle controlling means 3.is mounted. The means 3 comprises a rotatable rod 4, an operating handle5 working in con unction with a notched quadrant 6 of the steering wheel7.- A. crank arm 8 1s attached to the lower end of the rod 4 and is.

disposed beneath the floor boards. The carburetor 9 is provided with thecustomary throttle valve crank arm 10.

In attaching the mechanism ofthis invention to a motor vehicle of thetype. shown in the accompanying drawings, the usual link or connectingrod, not shown, which serves as a means of connection between the crankarm 10 and crank arm 8 is removed and in place thereof a rod 11, isused. The rod 11 is provided with a right angularly bent end 12 which ispivotally secured as at 13 to the outer end of thev crank arm 8, theother end of the rod 11 extends to a point adjacent to the throttlevalve crank arm 10 but is preferably, not directly connected therewith.As a means of resilient connection, between the rod 11 and crank arm 10we employ a sleeve 14 longitudinally slidable or movable upon the rod11. The sleeve 1 1 carries an apertured ear 1:") in the aperture ofwhicha pin 16 is fixedly mounted. This pin is pivotally secured by means ofthe usualelem-ents 17 to the outer end of the throttle valve crank arm10. The sleeve 14 is held extended and in engagement with an adjustablestop member 18 on the outer end of the rod11,by a helical expansionspring 19 which surrounds the rod 11 and at its ends abuts one end ofthe sleeve 14 and a collar or stop member surrounding and fixed to therod 11 at a point spaced from the outer endof said rod. This springnormally holds the sleeve so extended that the throttle valve will beclosed.

To regulate the extent of the outward movement of the sleeve the stopmember 18 has an angularly faced head 22 at one end and is provided withinternal screw threads 23 within said head. These screw threadscooperate with the screw threaded end of the rod 11. The body of themember 18 is oppositely slotted from oneend as at 24 and as a means forlocking the member in adjusted position a cotter pin 25 is insertedthrough an opening provided inthe rod and lies, within the slots 24'; Byremoving the cotter pin the member niay be turned upon rod to cause" itto move longitudinally; The carbureter is provided with the usualadjusting mechanism 26 which cooperates with the adjustable stop member18 in adjusting the mechanism. v

The foot operated mechanism comprises pedal means consisting of a baseplate 27 held by fastening elements 28' upon the foot board 1. Apedal'29 is' pivoted intermediate ofitsendsas at 30 on the foot board 27and is provided with an opening 31 inits outer end. Through one side ofthe opening a slot 32 is out and corresponding to this an opening andaslot 33 and 34, respectively are provided in the adjacent end of thebase plate 27. Preferably a slotted socket member 35 extends from theunder side of the plate 27 in registration with the opening 34. Aflexible wire 36 is connected at one end to the pedal 29 andlikewiseconnected at its other end to the sleeve 14. A substantiallysemicircular member 37 is fixed to the upper end ofwire 36' and engagesin a similar shaped seat 38 therefor, in the upper side of the openingin the pedal. This structure provides for easy movement of the head inthe'opening or seat therefor, so as to relieve strains on the wire 36.By having slots inthe pedal, plate and socket, the wire and member 37may be quickly and easily fitted into and removed from connection withthe pedal. I

The other endof the wire isclamped upon the top of an extension 40carriedby the sleeve-14. The extension 40 is provided with 411 opening41 through whicha headed screw or bolt 42 is inserted. Nuts 43 areturned upon the screw' threaded end of the bolt so as to bring the headofth'e bolt into position to clamp the wire 36upon the extension 40,asshownjin Figsl 3' and 4. The extension 401- is provided on oppositesides with flanges 44" between v'v'hichv the-[head of the bolt lies insuch position that'th'e head isheld' against turning by said flanges.These flanges are" IrOt'chedras; at 45'; and the 1 wir engages in thenotches, as shown Figs? 3" and 4; By" thisconstruction the end of thewire may be securely adjustably connected to the sleeve, the securing oradjusting or detaching being easily and quickly effected.

As a means for guiding and holding the wire so as to provide for an easypulling thereof when the pedal is depressed, we employ means which willproduce a curve or are at a point intermediate of its ends. Since theline of pull from the pedal is approximately at right angles to the lineor direction of movement of the sleeve it is necessary to provide thiscurve in the wire near a point where the same extends outwardly from therod so that the rod may be pulled freely. As shown in Fig. l we employ acurved tube 46, one end of which extends into and is held upon a tubularmem ber 47, which latteris fixed to the collar The collar 20 and tubularmember 47 may be integral or otherwise constructed The wire 36 isextended through the tubular member 47 and through the tube 46, r Thetube 46 is preferably rigid. and of. such a curve that free and easypullingof the'wire maybe effected when thepedal is depressed.

e do not wish to limit ourselves to the use of the curved rigid tube asa means" for guiding and providing for a free and easy pulling of thewire. Vi e have'found that it' is'necessary to provide some meansbetween the ends of the wire as a bearing and guid ing mea'nssagainst oraround which the wire may be pulled without undue friction and while wehave shown a curved rigid tube for accomplishing this. we wish itunderstood that we may employ anyother means which will provide for thispurpose;

Operation.

When the hand operating mechanism 3 actuated in the usual manner to openthe carburetor; the crank arm 3 con nnunicates a pull to the rod 1.1causing the same to move bodily whereupon, through the medium of thesleeve 14 and pin 16, the crank a'rrn' 10 will be moved so as to openthe throttle valve. During this movement, due to the flexibility of thewire 36, no movement' is' transmitted to the pedal 29 nor is the sleeve"14 moved relative to therod 11.

, When the foot pedal 29 is depre-s'sedaflpull is communicated'tothewire 36 and the sleeve 14 is moved inwardly upon the rodflll againstthe action of the spring 19. When said sleeve 14 moves inwardlythecrank'arm- 10 moves to open the throttle valve. Thismovementtakes placewithout etfectingfan y' movement ofthe rod llor in any way" move thehand operating mechanism. Upon re: lease ofthe pe'dal'29, the spring 19expands and moves the sleeve 14 to normal position and closes-thethrottle valve. Thus" it will he seenthat operation either mechanisni'is" independently carried out;

1 ,aeasee This application is a division of the application of Lloyd M.Williams, Percy J WVilliams, Chester L. Williams, filed August 18, 1921,for accelerator, Serial No. 493,248.

WVe claim 1. In an accelerator the combination with the hand operatedcrank arm and the throttle Valve crank arm of an automobile, of aconnection between said crank arms including two members slidablyconnected with one another and also connected with the re spective crankarms, a pedal, a flexible wire connected with one of said members andsaid pedal and a curved rigid tube supported by the other of saidmembers and through which said wire extends.

2. In an accelerator, the combination with the hand operated crank armand throttle valve crank arm of the throttle valve controlling mechanismof an internal combustion engine, of a rod connected with one of thecrank arms, a member slidably connected with the rod and connected withanother of the crank arms, a pedal, a flexible wire connected with theslidable member and said pedal and a rigid guide member supported bysaid rod and having a curved surface against which an intermediateportion of the wire slidably engages.

3. In an accelerator the combination with the hand operated crank armand throttle valve crank arm of an automobile, of a resilient connectionbetween said crank arms including two members movable relative to oneanother and connected with the respective crank arms and a springoperatively associated with said members, a flexible wire connected withone of said members of said connection and a curved rigid tube beingindependent of said resilient connection but supported by the other ofthe members of said connection through which tube said wire extends.

LLOYD M. WVILLIAMS. PERCY J. WILLIAMS. CHESTER L. WVILLIAMS.

